Sole survivor

Joseph Shaw on how Vladimir Ashkenazy, the last of Marnau's petitioners, has been honoured by the FIUV

One of the youngest signatories of the Marnau petition was also one of only two non-Britons who signed: the brilliant Russian pianist and conductor, Vladimir Ashkenazy.

The other international signatory was another musician, the JewishAmerican violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who like Ashkenazy was resident in London at the time. Other international figures later signed an Italian version of the petition – see pages 8-9.

Mr Ashkenazy, 84 years old and living in retirement in Switzerland, is today the sole survivor of Marnau’s 57 petitioners.

Born in Russia and baptised into the Russian Orthodox Church, he has lived in many countries, including England, Greece, and Iceland, his wife’s native country. He is a fitting representative of the voice of the international cultural world which cried out in alarm at the danger to the incomparable monument to human spirituality, the ancient Latin Mass, which was clearly perceived even outside the Church.

The International Una Voce Federation (FIUV) decided to offer Mr Ashkenazy its rarely-bestowed honour, the De Saventhem Medal, to mark the anniversary and to honour in him all the petitioners.

Dr Erich de Saventhem was a man of culture, a convert, and an anti-Nazi German diplomat with connections with the plot to assassinate Hitler, who made a daring defection to the British from the German embassy in Istanbul in 1944. Later, he was the founding President of the Una Voce Federation and used his extensive connections and his own forceful character to press the case for the preservation of the Traditional Mass in the Holy See and elsewhere. The medal named in his honour is awarded to individuals who, like him, have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of the Traditional Mass. As Secretary of the FIUV, I wrote to Mr Ashkenazy:

It seems appropriate that your good self should remain as the signatories’ representative fifty years later, to remind us of the perspective of someone from a distinct, though related, venerable liturgical tradition, who has lived in many countries, and contributed so much to our common cultural patrimony.

After a brief discussion with members of the Ashkenazy family about the nature of the award, Mr Ashkenazy accepted the medal with a very gracious letter, the substance of which is reproduced below.

In response to your letter, dated July 29th 2021, regarding your very kind offer to present me with the De Saventhem Medal, in order to mark the 50th Anniversary of the 1971 petition, I would be extremely grateful and pleased to accept the honour.

My personal view of the matter is, that it is of great spiritual value and importance that the more ancient Latin Catholic Liturgy, with its associated cultural and musical traditions, be preserved for all those who are concerned with strengthening, or at least maintaining, our connection with the Divine; the ancient liturgies, be they Catholic or Orthodox (I am baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church) are, by default, bound to represent a much purer spiritual relationship with Christ in particular, and with the world in general, than do, to quote Dr. Erich Vermehren De Saventhem: ‘the flat, prosaic, philistine or delirious liturgies which will soon overgrow and finally smother even the recently revised rites...’

Being a musician, I am fully in agreement with the idea that the ancient/traditional Roman Catholic Mass will have inspired a plethora of invaluable artistic achievements over the ages: mystical works, poetry, philosophical treatises, musical works of genius, magnificent edifices, wonderful paintings, incredible sculptures, and even the construction of marvellous musical instruments like the organ and the piano!

Regarding the piano, the great composers who were inspired by the Christian faith include Bach, Beethoven, Liszt, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff, who were also wonderful pianists; the point being that our Faith has inspired countless true believers to achieve great artistic and spiritual heights, and the preservation of the Ancient, and more Authentic, Liturgies, which are immeasurably closer to the original spiritual source than the more banal ones of today, could go a long way towards continuing to inspire us all, both culturally and spiritually.”

The FIUV and the Latin Mass Society are delighted that, after half a century, Mr Ashkenazy is willing to renew his association with the cause of the Traditional Mass. We are organising a Mass for the good estate of the Ashkenazy family.

Vladimir Ashkenazy: I am fully in agreement with the idea that the ancient/ traditional Roman Catholic Mass will have inspired a plethora of invaluable artistic achievements